


i love you, forever and always

by depresseddemoness



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, JJ just wants to make emily feel loved, Scars, They are so in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:21:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29008971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/depresseddemoness/pseuds/depresseddemoness
Summary: Emily's scars make her feel unlovable, weak and ugly. JJ is determined to show her otherwise.slight tw for a mention of past child-abuse
Relationships: Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss
Comments: 1
Kudos: 85





	i love you, forever and always

**Author's Note:**

> slight tw for a mention of past child-abuse

Emily felt her back hit the wall behind her with a quiet thump as JJ pushed her up against it, now beginning to nip and kiss at Emily’s jaw, moving down to her pulse point, making Emily moan quietly. “God, JJ.” she whispered as she ran her hands through blonde tresses. 

JJ came back up to Emily’s face at Emily’s words, kissing her hard, her tongue asking for entrance. Emily opened her mouth wider to let JJ dominate the kiss as Emily whimpered quietly against her mouth. JJ began to run her hands up and down Emily’s body, eventually finding the buttons of Emily’s shirt. She began to quickly unbutton each one. 

Emily didn’t realize what JJ was doing, but when she did, she began to push JJ away lightly. JJ didn’t let up, still kissing Emily even harder than before and trying to undo the buttons quicker. Emily pushed away harder, and harder, until she fully pushed JJ off of her. 

“Stop!”

When JJ realized what Emily said, she backed away quickly. “Oh, Emily, i’m so stupid! I should’ve known-”

“No! JJ!” Emily stepped forward, and squeezed JJ’s shoulders tightly. “I wanted this, okay? I still want this. It’s just-” Emily cut herself off, looking in another direction, avoiding JJ’s gaze.

After a couple moments of silence, JJ asked, quietly, “just, what?” Emily shook her head, still keeping her gaze at the wall beside JJ.

“Hey,” JJ brought her hands up to Emily’s hair, moving it out of her face. “Look at me.” Emily hesitantly looked back into JJ’s eyes. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I just want to help you, Em.”

Emily shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal, i’m just overreacting. I’m fine-”

“Anything that upsets you, Em, is a big deal to me.” JJ spoke softly.

Emily took a deep breath, and waited a couple seconds before responding. “It’s just the scars, they are all over me. Doyle, he marked me. Branded me. I can’t ever look at m-myself without seeing how weak I was that night, how h-he dominated me. I can’t ever get rid of them.”

“Em, scars are okay, they don’t change anything..”

Emily looked away again, tears filling her eyes, trying to keep them at bay. 

“They aren’t all just from Doyle, Jen. There are other scars that make me feel so, ugly and weak everytime i see them. I don’t want you to have to see that, Jen.”

JJ shook her head, giving Emily a smile to try to reassure her. “Like I said before, Em. Scars, whether or not I've seen them or know about them already, are okay. They don’t change how i feel about you, and they never will. Okay?” 

Emily didn’t reply, but looked up into JJ’s eyes again, seeing nothing but love in the eyes facing hers. 

“It’s okay to let someone in, let me in, Em, please..” 

Emily bit her lip, which JJ knew was her tell when she was nervous or scared about something.

Emily didn’t speak, just nodded, glancing down briefly at her shirt, JJ took this as a sign, and began to reach for Emily’s shirt, and unbuttoned another button. She looked up at Emily, looking for any sign of hesitance in her girlfriends features. Emily looked down at her, and nodded again. 

JJ stood up, briefly kissing Emily on the lips, before kneeling back down to slowly unbutton Emily’s shirt. Once she reached the last button, and unbuttoned it, she stood up, looking Emily in the eyes as she pushed back the shirt, letting it fall to the ground. She looked at Emily with a question in her eyes:  _ can I look? _ Emily seemed to understand, nodding again. Emily loved how JJ always made sure she was okay with what was happening before it happened, it made her feel so safe. When she saw JJ looking down at her torso, she looked away, ashamed of what JJ was seeing. Tears pooled in her eyes unwillingly. 

JJ looked up and down Emily’s body. She saw the brand that Doyle left behind, and the scarring from when she was staked. She saw other scars that she didn’t know about, and she knew that there was a different backstory for every scar she saw.  _ How could Emily think this would change anything? _

She looked up at Emily’s face, noting that Emily was looking away from her, probably bracing herself for harsh words. She stood back up, and gently took Emily’s jaw in her hand, tilting her face back so she could see those brown eyes she loved to get lost in. It broke her heart to see tears swimming in her eyes, and all she wanted to do was ease Emily’s worries.

JJ smiled. “You're beautiful.” Emily blushed at her words. “You are. You, Emily Prentiss, are the most beautiful woman i have ever seen, and i am so lucky to have you in my life, baby.” JJ licked her lips before continuing. “No scars, no matter how ugly you think they are, change the way i feel about you, ever.” JJ wanted to wash away any pain or trauma Emily’s ever had to endure, because, God, she knew there was a lot. She wanted to protect Emily from any and all harm. 

“Really?” Emily asked, as if she was truly surprised at JJ’s reaction.

“Yes, really. I-I love you, Em, and I plan to do so for a lot longer. You’re stuck with me, Prentiss. 

Emily giggled lightly before turning solem again. 

“What’s wrong?”

“T-those aren’t all the scars, Jen. There are more.” Emily murmured as she looked down towards her legs, JJ now looking down with her. 

“Can i see?” Emily nodded, now knowing that JJ would never judge her now.

Emily let JJ peel her leggings down her legs. She lifted up each foot so JJ could take her pants off fully. This time, she kept eye-contact with JJ as she took off her leggings. She prolonged this contact, even when JJ was looking at all of the scars that her legs were decorated with. JJ traced the scars carefully, making sure it wasn’t hurting Emily to do so. Soon after, she began to pepper loving kisses all over the scars on her girlfriend's body. She traveled up one leg, giving it all of her undivided attention. She did the same on the other leg, before standing up and giving Emily’s torso attention. JJ wanted to reinvent the way Emily saw her scars, her kisses tickling Emily, making her giggle softly. This made JJ lookup, and smile at her girlfriend briefly before continuing her actions from before. When she finished giving every scar, small and large, all of her love, she stood up fully, taking Emily into her arms.

Emily couldn’t think of a time before she started seeing JJ where she felt as loved as she did now. She didn’t know what she did to deserve her beautiful girlfriend, but she knew that she would work tirelessly to keep her in her life for as long as she possibly could. 

\-- 

JJ led Emily to her bed, climbing in first, before opening up her arms to Emily. Emily didn’t hesitate to jump into the comfort that JJ’s touch brought her. JJ let Emily burrow her head between her neck and shoulder, and they stayed in silence for a while, JJ rubbing Emily’s back while Emily kept her arms wrapped around JJ’s torso securely. JJ began tracing some of the bigger scars lined up next to each other along Emily’s back. She hadn’t seen them earlier, only seeing the front of Emily’s body. Emily seemed to sense the unsaid question in JJ’s repeated tracing of the scars.

“They’re belt scars.” Emily spoke against JJ’s neck.

“From what?” JJ asked softly, trying to keep Emily from shutting her out. 

“As you know, my childhood wasn’t always great, that’s why I never talk about it. My mother was always busy being an ambassador, and never really checked up on me.” Emily sighed, and JJ could tell this was hard for her to talk about. “My dad would always come home drunk, and beat me. He often used his belt, but sometimes he kicked me until I couldn't breathe, or move.”

JJ didn’t say anything, just held Emily tighter as she felt Emily start to cry quietly from the memories.

When she started to feel Emily’s back starting to tremble as she cried, she spoke up. “Em, I’m sorry, i didn’t mean to push you into talking about something that is painful for you to think about. 

Emily spoke in between sobs. “No.. it’s not your fault..” She sniffled. “I want you to know where all of these scars came from, I don't want to hide from you Jen.”

“You don’t have to hide, baby. Anything you tell me, anything at all, will never change anything. I love you no matter what, and I will tell you that 100 times a day until you get sick of me telling you.” 

Emily looked back up into JJ’s eyes, tears now down her face, but now smiling. Even when she was in tears, JJ thought Emily was ethereal. 

“Tell me again.”

“I love you.”

“Again?”

“Emily Prentiss, i love you.” JJ said, again as she now cupped Emily’s face to wipe her tears away.

“I love you too, Jennifer. forever, and always.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!


End file.
